


Appropriate Attire

by kindkit



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Clothing, Gen, Trans Female Character, Workplace, monster says trans rights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-19 02:17:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22270255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kindkit/pseuds/kindkit
Summary: Dressing for success at the Magnus Institute.
Comments: 18
Kudos: 168





	Appropriate Attire

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the S4 Q&A, when Jonny and Alex start imagining the dress code at the Institute.

1\. _Employees may request reimbursement for clothing damaged in the course of their duties_

Terry gives the filthy boots a cautious pat before putting them into the incinerator. They saved his life; he's proud of them. He strips off the protective gloves he's wearing and throws them in, too. “There goes another hundred quid up in smoke.” 

“Get a reimbursement,” Gertrude says, casually tossing in her own stout shoes.

“Reimbursement?”

“Didn't you know? It's in the handbook. An appendix, I believe.”

“Oh, right. I mean, I must - “

“Mr. Dowling, you've done well so far. But if you want to succeed in this job, you must read _everything_.”

2\. _Attire must be appropriate to a professional environment_

The fourth charity shop Martin tries actually has suits, and one of them fits, more or less. It's too snug at the waist, too long in the leg, and weirdly baggy at the knees. It also shows a bit of wear in the seat--that must be what it's like, having an office job--and its color makes Martin think of air pollution. But it's a suit he can afford, and he needs to look like someone who went to university, who has an M.A. The Magnus Institute could change his whole life, if only they'll give him a chance.

3\. _Trousers or skirts may be worn, as appropriate_

Deirdre is shaking as she walks into the Institute wearing her best skirt. Of course she's worn skirts before, but not to work.

Last week she told her manager, Claire. Yesterday she told all of her colleagues in Cataloguing. Not about the skirt as such, but about her new name. Her true self. It wasn't too bad. No one said anything awful.

This morning she styled her hair carefully, put on makeup carefully. It's important to look right, today.

She thought she was ready. Now, passing through security, she feels faint.

The first person she meets in the corridor is Elias. He likes to stroll through the departments of a morning, greeting people. Everyone knows he's looking for latecomers, overlong gatherings around the coffee, croissants eaten too close to the books. He's very keen on correctness. On keeping everything as it should be.

“Good morning,” he says, on charming autopilot, and then stops and looks at her. 

She braces herself. 

He looks a moment longer, forehead wrinkling in thought and then smoothing. “Ah, yes. Good morning, Deirdre.” He smiles again and walks on.

Claire must have told him about her. Told him her new name, because Deirdre never did.

4\. _Attire must not display any provocative, obscene, offensive, or otherwise inappropriate images or slogans_

“Change it.”

“Can't,” Tim says. “Haven't got another shirt with me.”

“Go home and change it.”

“It's a long way home. Might take _hours_ to get back.”

“It had better not.”

“The Tube can be really unreliable.”

“Then go out and buy another shirt.”

“No money. Lend me thirty quid?”

“Tim, this attitude is - “

“So sack me, Elias.” Tim looks down at his t-shirt, which has a picture of a guillotine and the words NO MASTERS printed on it. “No? Thought not.”

“Get out of my office,” Elias says levelly. “And reconsider this campaign of insubordination.”

“Or what?” Not much of a parting shot, but Tim feels good about it. Taking the piss out of Elias must be tiring, though, must wear down his emotional defenses. All day long, he can't stop thinking about his brother.

5\. _Hair must be styled appropriately for the workplace and must have a natural colour_

“So I said, green is natural. You see it all the time in nature.”

“Wish I could've seen his face.”

“No, he just got really . . . calm. He asked if I always paid so much attention to the exact meanings of words. And I said, well, anyone can see the dress code's not applied fairly, not when those weirdos from Archives go around looking like they haven't changed in a week. Or had a wash.”

“Ooh. Good for you, Asha.”

“He never really answered me, though. Just said he'd noticed I'd been taking an interest, and would I like to transfer there from Research.”

“Fate worse than death!”

“Yeah, but I couldn't exactly say oh no, they all look too miserable and also the head of the department is on the run for murder, could I? So I just said Research is my strength and I want to stick with it.”

“That's diplomatic. The sort of thing _he_ would say.”

“Exactly. He must have liked it, because he just said to concentrate on my own work, then, and told me I could go. Not another word about my hair.”


End file.
